Dawn's Early Light
by Sailor Song
Summary: Having fulfilled their destinies, Link and Zelda attempt to move forward after the events of the Twilight Invasion. However, upon the return of Hyrule's crowned prince, Zelda's greatest tormentor, the pair are forced to take drastic steps in order to secure a chance at happiness.
1. Induratize

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Title: Dawn's Early Light  
Chapter 1: Induratize  
Author: Sailor Song  
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_INDURATIZE (verb): to make one's own heart hardened or resistant to someone's pleas or advances, or to the idea of love._

… … …

"Link?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Zelda was startled. Not because of his rapid response, for in the month or so since he had been stationed outside of her chambers for the evening shift, she had grown comfortable with his near-constant presence. No, her shock had more to do with the fact that she had called out to him without having a reason.

"I…" _Curses, think of something. _"I... Sir Link, just what do you think you are doing?"

"Don't move, Princess" he said, pulling out his bow and aiming an arrow so quickly that she couldn't think. She closed her eyes and could hear the whistle as the arrow flew towards her. Correction, it flew past her. After hearing it make contact with something behind her, she opened an eye and watched as Link walked in the direction where the arrow had flown.

"Got it," he said, turning proudly to show off a dead rat at the end of his arrow.

She could feel one of her eyes start to twitch. A rat?

"I'll dispose of this at once, Princess. Was that all that you required of me?"

Oh, right, she had called him into the room. "No-Yes," she stumbled, feeling a rush of heat rising to her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she said, "Yes, that is all."

"Very well." With the rat-skewered arrow hidden behind him, Link bowed towards her to excuse himself from her presence, but she couldn't help but notice the bemused smile that crossed his features as he rose and walked out of the room. "I'll be right outside your door should you have need of me again."

…

"Sir Link?"

The next evening, she actually had a purpose for calling out his name, and it had nothing to do with exterminating vermin. When she didn't hear his reply, she instantly became worried. Never once had he failed to enter and address her within seconds. She spoke his name once more, perhaps with a bit more emotion than she had meant to use, but when he again did not reply, she hurried towards the door.

"Link? Oh! Hello, Sir…"

"Theo. I'm Sir Theo, Your Highness. Was there something I could do for you?"

Thinking quickly, she replied, "I had a question for Sir Link. He has traveled extensively through Hyrule, so I was hoping to see what he knew about the state of Snowpeak Fortress."

Link had already told her all about the mansion and its current occupants, but it was an obscure enough request that it wouldn't draw any suspicion from the other soldiers.

"I'm sorry, Highness," the knight replied. "Sir Link requested an evening off and asked if I would take his place. However, if it is an urgent matter, I can send word to have him summoned here immediately."

"No!" she shouted at him, causing the man to jump. "I mean, please do not trouble yourself, or him. There is no rush. Thank you."

He bowed, but before he could complete, "You're welcome, Your High-," she had already reentered her quarters and shut the door.

An evening off? Link hadn't told her about that. Was he tired of serving in the guard? No doubt it was a droll existence compared to his previous adventures. She, herself, now found being confined within the castle walls to be stifling, and she had only spent a fraction of the Twilight Invasion sharing a life force with the Twili imp.

A scratching noise pulled her attention to a corner of the room. Perhaps it was another rat, but she did not want to call on Sir New-Guard again so soon, especially for something so trivial. Grabbing the nearest heavy object within her reach, she moved slowly forward. The scratching grew louder, escalating into a banging nose, and then suddenly, the wall flew open and out flew a dark, hooded figure. Without a second thought, she threw down the object in her hand, a large book containing legends of the kingdom. She turned to flee from the intruder, when she heard him whisper her name.

"Link?"

A groan was all she received in reply, and she rushed over to pull back the hood, revealing that it was indeed her missing hero.

"By the goddesses," he groaned. "What did you hit me with? A rock?" he asked, pushing himself onto all fours.

"A book," she replied, although, that probably didn't make it any better. "What are you doing here?"

He remained crouched, almost wolf-like in his pose, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "The rat yesterday. I thought it might have wandered in through a secret passage to your chambers. As your guard, I thought it my duty to find it and make sure it was secure."

She couldn't believe he found a secret path to her room. Not even she had known of its existence. "No, I meant what are you doing here, working? I was informed that you had taken the night off?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't very well leave your room unguarded while I spent hours crawling through tunnels."

"That's not a night off, Link," she sighed. "You've done so much for Hyrule. You should be out with your comrades drinking-"

"Apologies, but I don't really drink, Princess."

Being interrupted, something this was not accustomed to, caused her to snap. "Then enjoy a night out with a girl!" she exclaimed. _No. Not that. Take it back! Take it back!_ "I mean, I just want… I wish for you to be happy."

He turned his glance to the floor as he took in a breath. The silence hung over them like the fog of Twilight. "How do I make you understand?" he whispered to himself before looking her straight in the eyes. "If that is what you truly wish," he said, rising to his feet, "I will do as my princess commands."

She was at a loss for words. It was only after the secret door had closed behind him that she finally found her voice again, and yet, her cries for him to return only echoed against hardened stone.

…

The next day he had returned to his post, but she could not find the nerve to leave her room. She wanted to see him, to talk to him, to find out what he meant by his cryptic words, but her fear constantly got the better of her. What was it that she did not understand?

Rather than sit around and pretend to read political documents she would be unable to focus on, she decided to venture out. With a deep breath and a brush of her gown, she stepped out into the hall.

"I am going to visit my father," she spoke without looking back.

His voice was calm as without a hint of emotion he asked, "Are you in need of an escort, Princess?"

"No." _Yes. _She couldn't bring herself to say the truth, but hoped in chancing a glance back, he might see through her deceit.

"Very well," he said, standing at attention. Ever the good little soldier. "I will keep watch over your rooms and be here when you return."

"Thank you." _Please come with me._

She turned back, but found that she couldn't move her legs. They suddenly felt heavy, and the very thought of walking away seemed an insurmountable task. Unable to move or speak, she could only wish herself to be somewhere else..

"Princess?" When she didn't reply, he continued. "I know it goes against your expressed wishes, but may I escort you? I would feel better if I was the one personally ensuring your safety."

Although she felt a sudden wave of relief wash over her, she kept her composure by giving only an affirmative nod before moving forward.

He was incredibly stealthy, she had to give him that. Once he had fallen into step with her, the sounds of his footsteps disappeared into her own. Unwilling to look back, she trusted that he was there and continued on to the quarters where the King of Hyrule lay in repose. The Twilight had consumed the people of Hyrule, and while the land had been healed thanks to the actions of the Hero and the spirits of light, its most prominent resident had still not recovered.

She needed a way to preoccupy her mind, and yet, what she really needed was a distraction from her distractions. Her mind should be focused on her people, on Hyrule, but like a schoolgirl, all she could think about was the boy walking behind her.

No, she thought. Not a boy. He was the one whose soul contained the spirit of the Hero of Legend. Who wielded the power of the Triforce of Courage in his hand. Who saved Hyrule from-

Even through her glove, she could feel his hand grasp her own as he stopped her, asking, "What's that sound?"

She listened, but her confusion turned to horror when she recognized the trumpets heralding the return of-

"No," she whispered. "No, not now."

"Princess?" Link tried, and when she could not answer, he pressed, "Zelda, are you cold? Why are you shaking?"

"He's back," she said, unable to stop her voice from quivering. "He's back."

"Who? Who's is back. You don't mean G-"

"Daltus." She looked at him, tears burning in her eyes as they threatened to spill.

He didn't say anything, but the boy from Ordon seemed to know exactly what that meant, making her heart sink. The knights must have talked. She wondered what he knew - whether it was truth or rumors. Did Link know about all of the days and nights her brother had spent screaming at her for the most insignificant of transgressions? Had he heard about the names he called her? Or worse, had Link heard the horrible lies Daltus had been circulating throughout since she had her first blood? Had he heard the worst, the one about the stableboy? That poor, poor boy.

Her vision blurred and darkened. When she came to, she found herself lying on her bed. One hand held hers while another, calloused and battle hardened, gently caressed her face. No one had touched her like this, at least, not since she was a very young girl.

"Feeling better?" She nodded, but couldn't find her voice to answer. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," she whispered so softly that she wasn't sure he could hear her. As he continued on, she wondered aloud, "Where did you learn to do this?"

"Midna," he said simply and looked away. It had been so long since either of them had spoken of her, the name had become something of an unspoken taboo between them now.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He stayed silent at first, but then he surprised her. "When the Twilight first appeared, when I first changed into my wolf form, I had trouble adjusting and I couldn't sleep. As a wolf, my senses were always heightened, making me constantly alert. I would push myself to the brink of exhaustion, and very often collapsed on the side of the road for a brief bit of rest. I'm not sure exactly when it started, but she began doing this, soothing me when I'd sleep. Wolf or human. It was... comforting."

Zelda let out a soft hum to let him know she was listening, all the while her own mind drifted back to her younger years when her mother would hold her, subdue her in a similar manner. So calmed, she nearly forgot what had caused her worry in the first place, until without warning it came bursting into her bedchambers.

"Zelda, precious sister, your-"

Jumping up, she saw her brother as he walked into her inner room. She could only imagine what must be going through his mind as he took in the scene before him - an unfamiliar guard in Hyrule livery whose hands were touching his little sister who was lying on the bed. Nervously she watched as his facial expressions changed from shock to rage.

"Daltus, no, it's not-"

"What is this?" he shrieked out. "Guards, you will arrest this rogue this instant!"

"Daltus!" she cried out as Link was approached by his brothers in arms. Though they hesitated to take one of their own in custody, she knew they ultimately would never be able to go against the orders of Hyrule's Crowned Prince. She slid off the bed and positioned herself between them and Link.

"Zelda, get out of the way." He moved forward, but she wouldn't flinch, suddenly emboldened. "Whore!" he shouted into her face, and still, she didn't move. Even when he raised his hand to strike, she could only close her eyes and wait for impact.

It never came.

The room fell silent as Link's strong hand wrapped around the arm of the prince.

"You dare lay a finger on me? You are going to regret that," Daltus spat. "I will see you spend the last days of your life in the depths of my dungeons before I have you beheaded in the town square."

With a sudden forcefulness in his voice Zelda had never heard him use before, Link replied, "You will do nothing of the sort."

She could feel her hand begin to burn for the first time since the fight with the Demon King, but it was forgotten when a bright golden light erupted from Link's own hand. It was absolutely blinding, and at first, she didn't understand why it was so much brighter than her own until her eyes adjusted slightly. Link didn't just have the piece of the Triforce that represented Farore and courage. He also had the raw power of Din, which had previously been held by Ganondorf.

Two. He was now the guardian of two pieces of the Triforce.

"What is this?" her brother asked, panic rising in his voice. "Who are you?"

Link ignored the prince, instead turning to face Zelda with his eyes full of pity. "I am so sorry, Princess," he said softly, but before she could inquire what he meant, he looked back to Daltus. "My name is Link of Ordon. By the goddesses will, I was called upon to save the land of Hyrule from an ancient evil. My task is now complete; therefore, I am invoking the clause set out by the last Queen Zelda-"

"No!" Daltus screamed. "Silence. Someone shut him up! Guards, stop him!"

Not one guard made a move, either because of fear or respect, allowing Link to continued on uninhibited. "Queen Zelda, the one who prevented a great evil from descending upon the land, predicted that the darkness would return to the kingdom and that a hero would emerge to save the land. If victorious, she wrote, it was his right to marry the princess who carries the blood of the goddess and together they should be deemed fit to ascend to the throne of Hyrule."

Zelda could only stare. This was all too much information to take in all at once, and she was far too reserved to make any sort of reply.

Daltus, however, had never been considered thoughtful nor reserved. "You are a liar!" he shrieked. "You are a nobody. I've never even heard of you or Ordon for that matter!"

"I may have been nothing more than an orphan and farmhand who lived in a small hamlet when the land was covered in Twilight," Link said calmly, "but I am that hero she foresaw. I did not ask to be chosen for this fate, but nevertheless, I answered the call of the goddesses, and I fought with all I have to protect my friends and to save… the land I love."

"LIA-"

"I am no liar," Link said calmly. "Summon the council. I have proof of the Queen's decree and can provide witnesses who testify that I am telling the truth about my deeds."

Zelda was confused. When he'd returned to the castle, she had offered him titles, wealth, lands, power, but he had turned it all down, asking only to enter the military without any favors or rank. She couldn't help but wonder what had changed.

She looked over to her brother, wondering just what must be going through his head in this moment. He must have realized that the guards, having already ignored his wishes once, would potentially become mutinous if he threatened their brother in arms. "Very well," Daltus sneered. "You're only delaying the inevitable. You'll need more than a glowing hand to convince those doddering old fools of anything." Thinking he had gained an edge, her brother gave a laugh and snapped his fingers for the guards to follow with Link in tow as he swept from the room. She only got to see a fleeting glance from Link, who gave her an unreadable glance, before she was left completely and utterly alone.

After the whirlwind of activity that had just occurred, she realized that she too should be there to testify on Link's behalf, and dressed herself for a meeting with the high council. With one last glimpse in the looking glass, she grabbed a hold of her skirt and rushed down the corridors to find where they all had headed.

Hold on. She stopped, her hands flying to her face in total shock. Had Link just said it was his intention to marry her?

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Twilight Princess was not my first Zelda game, but Twilight Link and Zelda are definitely my favorites. I'm not intending on making this a "10,000 years ago" story, but rather, the story of the post-Twilight Invasion that lays the groundwork for the BOTW backstory. In doing this, I'm going to be ignoring Four Swords Adventures from the official timeline. If you'd like an analysis that supports moving that, NintendoBlackCrisis has a video that goes into detail called "The Zelda Game that BROKE the Timeline? (Zelda Theory)."

I also learned that the map for TP was flipped for the Wii. Since it's the only system I played it on, I wasn't aware until I started writing this. I can't post a link here, but if you Google "Zelda Twilight Princess BOTW map" you should be able to find the one I've been using.

Finally, this story will be much more explicit than anything else I've written. I will censor it here, but you can read the full version on AO3 under the same username and title.


	2. Discomfit

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Title: Dawn's Early Light  
Chapter 2: Discomfit *  
Author: Sailor Song  
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_DISCOMFIT (verb): make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed_

… … …

"There she is, my sweet baby sister. Are you not the picture of radiance?"

Zelda closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before looking over to see her brother spread out on her settee. Baby sister? He wasn't even a year older than her.

"Who let you in here?"

Daltus shrugged. "What guard would dare stop the prince from seeing his sister on her wedding day?"

Link would have. Not wanting to prompt him into staying and talking more, and oh, how he loved to hear himself talk, she ignored him and turned back to the mirror as the dressmaker continued on with the finishing touches.

"With Father incapacitated as it were, it seems I will be the one privileged with the task of giving you away."

Again, she stayed silent. A lifetime of knowing how to deal with him meant a lifetime of silence. It was only when he was gone for his royal tour, when their father had taken ill and she had taken on the role of regent, that she began to feel herself breaking free from the prison she had been locked in all of her life. And then Zant came. And then the Twilight. And now marriage, her new gilded cage.

"You know, I had almost secured a match for you. Of course, every king and prince I met wanted nothing to do with you, but there was an earl - old, missing teeth and hair, you know the sort - who was coming around to the idea. I was rather enjoying the idea of you miserable in a loveless marriage, but you seem to have found your own version of hell all by yourself. An ignorant upstart of a farm boy…" his sentence was cut off by a sudden and uproarious fit of laughter.

His cheerfulness was certainly a change in his mood, though a disconcerting one. Daltus had been clearly pissed throughout all of the proceedings, having lost the throne when the council voted in favor of honoring the late queen's decree. He had been a terror to be around, but that wasn't anything new. Avoiding him was a game she had gotten very good at playing, until now anyway.

Thinking about it, she wasn't sure what caused Link to suddenly produce the centuries old decree almost two weeks ago, and even more astonishing was how he managed to have it in the first place. Since then, she hadn't been permitted to see him to ask; instead, she had been bombarded by wedding plans - not that anyone asked her what she wanted, only people telling her what the citizens expect of a royal wedding. Now she was being stitched into a dress she didn't choose while her brother chided her about a groom she didn't choose… it was too much.

"I'd like you to leave," she said with all of the calm she could muster.

"Oh no no no, dear sister," he said rising from the chair and walking over to her. The seamstress moved away quickly to press herself against the wall, leaving Zelda entirely exposed in her restrictive dress. "Do you think I'd leave you alone so you could run to him? You think I would allow you to warn him and let you ruin tonight's big surprise?"

She couldn't help herself. "Surprise? What are you going to do?"

He let out a laugh. "That's the point of a surprise, Zelda," he said matter-of-factly. "Now, where are your bloody servants? I'm hungry."

She did not get a moment alone, and once she was sewn into her wedding dress, moving was hardly an option. Sitting was barely an option. Eating, despite the large amount of food Daltus ordered, was also not an option for her, at least according to him.

"Wouldn't want my sister's stomach to bulge in that form-fitting dress. What would people think?"

"Why does it matter?" she asked tiredly.

"You ask why?" He rose from the feast and began walking over. "Even though I couldn't get back into Hyrule during the invasion, I still received intel of what was happening. The people say you and father were trapped in the castle, but he is still in no position to reveal what went on here. That leaves only your word to defend your honor."

"The usurper… Zant never touched me."

"I'm not talking about him," he said as he leaned in so close that she could smell the rank of his breath. She was frozen as the hot air tickled her neck. "What was *he* like? You know I've always been fascinated by the Gerudo King, studied all about his previous appearances in the kingdom. He vowed revenge on the previous Queen Zelda, for her role in having him banished… did he take it out on you?"

"No," she replied, quickly and simply.

"Oh, sister." He pulled away and looked at her, enjoying how uncomfortable he was making her. "You aren't sure, are you?"

She couldn't answer this time. From the time her soul was united with Midna, her body was not her own. While she was Ganondorf's puppet, she could remember nothing, not even the feeling of the attacks Link later said he was forced to volley back at her. He told her how the first time he took a direct hit rather than return fire and it felt like a hundred Twilit Bloats attacking him all at once. She didn't know exactly what that meant, but it didn't sound pleasant. And according to him, her possessed body had been struck three times, meaning Ganondorf took the blow, not her. If she hadn't felt all that, what else hadn't she felt? What else might he have done?

Her lack of response seemed to cause her brother great pleasure. With a deep chuckle, he said, "Oh, I cannot wait for a moment of today's fun."

… … …

His words haunted her from the moment they were spoken in her room, to the long, arduous walk through the castle's corridors, on the carriage ride to the cathedral, all the way on the walk down the aisle. Her only joy, catching a glimpse of Link through the lace of her veil. Whether by his choice or the high council's orders, he was dressed in the green tunic of the Hero, though it had certainly been cleaned up and polished since she'd last seen him wearing on the field of battle against the Demon King. Despite the hundreds of people who had been invited into the cathedral to witness their union, his every glance and smile was directed at her. Though his recent actions had been confusing, it was a comfort to finally be near him again.

She hoped for a moment of privacy to warn him that her brother was up to something, but the only words they were permitted to speak to one another during the service were their marriage vows. Once it was over, there was a blur of commotion, and before she knew it, she found herself back at the castle, sitting at the wedding feast, but she was not given a chance to speak to Link between the constant parade of guests coming up to congratulate the future rulers of Hyrule. A quiet moment together was all she needed. Hopefully their first dance together would provide just that, and it wouldn't be hard to make that happen.

She raised a butter knife to her glass to try to signal the crowd, but another guest, her brother, had the same idea and beat her to it. "A toast! To my new brother and his bride. May you both find all the happiness you deserve," he said, raising his glass and taking a great drink. Mid-gulp he stopped, and said in a loud, jovial voice, "Who wants to see them get started now?"

A cheer erupted, and Zelda suddenly realized in horror what her brother was planning: an antiquated bedding ceremony. It wasn't enough that Link was about to learn the truth about her, but everyone would find out in the most embarrassing possible way. She turned to Link, she had to tell him now, but they were both pulled apart so suddenly that she didn't have the chance.

"Come with us, Your Highness," the lady's maids instructed as they led her by the arms.

"No, wait, I need to talk to Link," she said to them desperately.

The girls giggled. "You'll see him soon, my lady," one of them, a more serious one who had crimson hair replied as the rest pulled her into a large room with only a bed in the center.

"I don't understand," she said, looking around. "This isn't my room."

"Yes, my lady," the same girl replied. "But so many wanted to witness the… consummation of your marriage, that your brother had to make other accommodations for you."

This was an outrage. Everything was spiraling out of hand, and she could do nothing to stop it. First her hair was let down, then, her shoes were removed, and finally, stitch by stitch, her dress was pulled away, leaving her completely exposed until a thin, white nightgown was draped around her.

"Climb up into the bed, my lady. Your husband will be here soon."

Husband? Goddess, she was married. To Link. What had happened? Everything was such a blur, and she was about to… about to… that… with the man who had saved her land. Her people. Her life.

She was centered in the bed, with her hair and gown splayed out. All around her she was adored with flowers and other sweet smelling herbs. Everything seemed peaceful, serene, and then, there was a banging on the door and a large group of boisterous men entered the chamber carrying Link on their shoulders. In the lead was the last person she wanted near here, especially in this moment.

"There she is, Hero," Daltus shouted. "Your reward. Your prize. Now go and bed her well."

Link's face had been unreadable, and even now, exposed as he was wearing only a thin, white nightshirt that barely covered his manhood, he was stoic and unflappable as always.

As he climbed into the bed, the men began to cheer. Zelda watched in horror as more and more witnesses seemed to be entering the room, crowding around. Her shame would soon be known by nearly all the nobles, and both she and Link would be ruined.

"Hey," he said softly as he gently caressed her face. "It's just you and me in this room, and no one else. I had hoped things would be different. I'll make sure it's quick and painless as possible. Don't worry about anything else."

He was so sweet. She couldn't bear to let him go through with this, knowing what her brother was about to do. "Link," she whispered, reaching up and putting a hand on his cheek. "I understand what is going to happen, but-"

"Less talking!" one of the onlookers exclaimed.

"Yeah, get on with it!" another cried out, making a wild gesture that caused his tankard to slosh ale in their direction.

Link used his own body to shield her from the drink. As the crowd laughed, he gently took her hand into his own and brought it to his lips. "Are you ready?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied.

"It does, Princess," he said. "Zelda, I will never do anything to you without your consent. Give the word and I will leap off this bed and fight every last one of them to take you away from here."

She suddenly realized the danger she had put him in. If he tried to fight them, to defend her honor now when he was nearly naked and unarmed, there was a real possibility that she would become a widow on her wedding night. "No, Link, you don't have to do that." She pursed her lips together and looked into his blue eyes. "I'm ready."

He nodded, he leaned in to give her a kiss on the lips. He pulled back slightly and whispered, "I promise you, I will be as gentle as I possibly can."

"I…" A sudden wave of embarrassment washed over her as she fully realized she was barely dressed in a room full of men who were cheering for the loss of her innocence. "I don't know what to do."

"Think of it as an adventure we get to figure out together," he said before leaning back, positioning himself between her legs. She could feel his hand under her nightdress, running up her thigh. Her heart began to race and her breathing increased as she felt a tingling feeling all over. He looked to her, waiting for her approval to proceed, so she nodded.

"Get to fucking already, boy!" one of the guests said with a laugh, startling her into remembering they weren't alone. She tried to look away from them, but all she could see was the onlookers, most of them male, watching with earnest.

"Look at me, Zelda," she heard Link whisper as he reached out his other hand to grasp her own. "Ignore the rest, just focus on me."

She nodded again as he prepared her.

"Are you ready for me to… may I enter you now?" Link asked awkwardly. His cheeks flushed with color, making her suspect that this was his first time as well. It actually made her feel better, and with a nod and a gentle squeeze of his hand, she reassured him to proceed.

As he continued to prod her nether region, he pulled his other hand away from holding hers and moved it under his nightshirt. She could see him making a couple of quick back and forth motions before she felt him slide her nightdress up a little higher while he spread her legs apart.

"Here it comes, everyone," Daltus shouted, bringing a hush over the crowd that had gathered around. "What we've all come to see."

"Focus on me," he instructed as he positioned himself to press into her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "This will probably hurt."

He continued, there was no stopping this now. In a voice so low that only she could hear, he asked, "Are you in pain?"

"Pressure," she replied simply as she choked back a sob. "I only feel pressure, just, please let it end."

He did exactly as she requested, and after a few moments, she heard him let out a gasp before falling onto the bed beside her. A cheer rang out from the gathered onlookers, who drank deeply from their tankards. Their excitement made her feel more uncomfortable and embarrassed while Link only breathed heavily. Leave it Daltus to make things worse.

"And now, friends and relatives, it's time to inspect the marital bed sheets!"

Many of the witnesses laughed heartily, and one burly man put his hand on the prince. "Come now, Highness, we saw them. First times can be awkward, and this was as uncomfortable as it gets."

"Why leave it to question?" Daltus pressed. "If we are insisting on skipping the line of succession for some old provisional clause from a long-dead queen, should not all other Hylian customs be properly followed? Should we not confirm that the future ruler was not previously deflowered?"

Of course, she thought as she heard a few soft chuckles coming from the audience. This was his plan all along. This was why he had created such a humiliating scenario.

Link stirred. He looked in her direction and ran a thumb down her cheek, brushing away a tear she didn't know had spilled. "It'll be alright." He pulled his hand away and brushed back his hair before rising. She could see him wiping himself with the bedsheets before gently doing the same to her own tender area.

"We did all you asked," he told them calmly, though she could sense the annoyance in his voice. "My wife and I thank you for attending our wedding and your… enthusiastic encouragement here, but now, we wish to retire to our private chambers. If you will excuse us."

Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms, and began to carry her from the room. She put her arms around his neck, and when she looked back, she could see her brother's angry face as the crowd lifted up the sheets and cheered.

"Blood?" she whispered. But… that wasn't possible. She wasn't supposed to...

It wasn't until they were out of the room, far from the onlookers, that she broke down in tears. Link did not quiet her, only held her closer and continued to carry her up to her quarters, well, now, she supposed it was their quarters now. He carried her all the way to the bed, setting her down gently before walking away. She could hear him in the adjoining room, asking the chambermaid for something. Moments later he returned with a cup of tea.

"Drink this," he said.

She sat up and did as she was told. He helped her take a sip of the warm liquid that took little time to make its way into her stomach. He was so gentle, so sweet, but he, like her, had just been through the same horrific ordeal.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Link, I wanted to warn you..."

"Don't worry about it," he said quietly. "Finish your drink." She did as she was told and lost her nerve.

They sat in silence while she nursed the drink. The taste, it reminded her of something.

"Very good," he said, taking the empty cup from her and setting it on the stand beside her. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No," she replied. "Link, if you were wanting to… again... if you wanted more tonight..." Goddesses, why was she having trouble speaking? "It is still our wedding night, and I would understand if you wanted to-"

"I won't touch you again," he interrupted. "At least, not until you have asked me to." He pulled the covers up around her, and knelt down next to the bed. In a voice so low that only she would be able to hear, he continued, "This all happened so fast, Zelda. I had hopes that I would be able to share my life with you, but I wanted things to be much different. I wanted you to want to be with me too. So while every part of me yearns to take you up on your offer, I will wait until you feel the same way I do."

She didn't know what to say, and soon enough it didn't matter because her husband - Goddess, she was a wife now - her husband was already sound asleep beside her. After the events of the day, it didn't take long for her to succumb to her own exhaustion and fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: On I am editing the content because the Mature rating does not allow for explicit content. If you want to read the full, unedited piece, you can find the story with the same name (title and author) on AO3. Any chapter that has been edited here will have an asterisks by the chapter title.


	3. Elucidate

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Title: Dawn's Early Light  
Chapter 3: Elucidate *  
Author: Sailor Song  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_ELUCIDATE (verb): make (something) clear; explain_

… … …

"Good morning, my lady," a cheerful voice rang out as the curtains were drawn, letting in the bright light of morning.

As her senses began to awaken, she was suddenly overwhelmed by everything at once. Memories of the night before came racing back, and as she sat up in the bed, she became all too aware of an aching tenderness in her nether regions. Realizing why she was so sore, she turned to look at the opposite side of the bed, but saw that she was alone.

"Where is Link?" she asked the lady's maid, she recognized to be the red-haired girl who had assisted her the night before.

"He was called away early this morning to begin working with the high council," the girl replied as she lay a dressing gown on the bed.

Zelda took a step back at hearing this. "Didn't they ask for me to join him?" What's more, didn't Link want her there?

"It all happened so fast," the maid replied. "I'll send word while you eat. Your breakfast is on the table. Once you are finished, ring for me and I shall return to help you dress."

Zelda shifted, causing her attention to return to the aching soreness below. Suddenly desperate to relieve herself, she hurried to the privy. Upon the hard, wooden seat, she waited patiently for her bladder to fully empty. Finally finished, she cleaned herself, but before rising, she let her hand linger a little longer. Curiously, she extended one finger inside her folds, exploring the still sensitive area Link had touched the night before. Nothing she did could reproduce the sensations she had felt, and so with a sigh, she pulled down her nightgown and returned to her bed to grab the dressing robe.

Although she had barely eaten the night before, she could only manage to pick at the breakfast items that had been left for her. The tea was new, with a grassy taste though not at all bitter. It made her smile as she thought of Link and how he used to smell of the fields of Hyrule.

She dressed herself, and once she was satisfied with her appearance, set out for the high council chambers.

How could they all dismiss her so suddenly? She had stood in for her father for months, serving as best as she could through perhaps one of the worst experiences in Hyrule's history, recent history at least, but because a male was now available, it seemed she was to be cut out of all foreign and domestic decisions for the kingdom.

Mere moments after setting foot outside of her room, she came face-to-face with the person she did not want to see.

"Hello, sister." Her brother gave her a smile that sent a shiver down her spine. "I didn't expect you to be out of bed so soon after your wedding night. Or that you would be able to walk after he-"

"Where's Link? Why did the council want him there and not me?"

"Why would he need you there? You've played enough, but we're talking about man's work. There's no place for you."

She pushed past him, not wanting to fall into whatever trap he was hoping to pull her into, and tried to continue on to her destination. Tried, but failed, and his vice-like hand gripped around her wrist.

"Let me go," she demanded.

"So angry," he cooed. "Did your hero not satisfy you with that tiny cock of his? Were you hoping to find something bigger to fuck now that you got a taste for it. Another guard perhaps?"

"Shut up."

"That isn't it. We both know you already acquired a taste for it a while ago… What you did to that poor, poor stable-boy. But you never really cared about his fate-"

"Shut up!" she shouted, pushing him, only to find her back thrust forcefully against the stone wall.

"Oh, maybe you did care. Or maybe you are wondering how long it will be until your husband finds out?"

"You know that was all a lie."

"We only have your word on that now, don't we?" When she didn't reply, he leaned in close. "You want my advice? Get him to come inside of you until your belly is swollen with his heir. The sooner the better because a child will make it harder for him to ask for an annulment once he learns the truth about what a filthy whore you really are."

She hadn't realized that it was her brother keeping her on her feet until he let her go and she slipped to the ground.

Sometime later she was found by her red-haired lady's maid, who led her back to her room all the while giving her a gentle scolding.

It took her some time to compose herself, but she came to the conclusion that her brother was right, at least partially. The sooner Link knew what had happened, the truth of it, the better.

She spent much of the day preparing herself for his return. At last, as the sun began to set over the mountains that overlooked Hyrule, she began to watch the door. Word came that she would have to eat dinner alone, but she had no stomach, her nerves had gotten the best of her. Only the tea that smelled of the fields could have brought her some comfort, but this one that had been served with dinner was different. It reminded her of… of…

Without knowing it, she had drifted off to sleep, waking only briefly to find she had been moved to the bed and Link was asleep beside her.

… … …

One after the next, days and then weeks passed like this, where all she saw of her husband was a darkened silhouette of his exhausted, sleeping form beside her in the bed. She had made attempts to see him, to stay awake at least so they could talk, but he always arrived after she had fallen asleep and he was gone by the time she woke the next morning. Any time she attempted to leave her chambers, she was always stopped by someone - usually her brother - along the way. There had to be another path, but wh-

The secret passage, of course! Link hadn't known about it until he sought it out, which meant that the other soldiers were unaware of its existence. Daltus couldn't have known about it either, or else he would have used it to terrorize her more than he already did. She had maybe one chance to use this escape, so she had to make the most of it. After a day of careful planning, she succumbed to slumber.

… … …

Cloaked in the dark cape she hadn't worn since her days of Twilight captivity, she successfully navigated her way undetected through the palace all the way up to the throne room. Here, she mingled among the citizens of Hyrule, making sure to keep a few rows between her and the front so as not to be recognized.

She stood silently back, trying to hear what was happening. From what she could assess, Link was on the throne attempting to hear concerns from citizens.

"Poor lad," the man beside her said. "They're putting him right into the fire."

"How so?" she asked.

"Them royals," he continued on with a tsk, "they left that boy to deal with some of the most complex issues of the kingdom while they dally away."

She narrowed her eyes as she gave him a sideways glance, but he must not have noticed because he continued on.

"To think, he was forced to marry the princess."

"I don't know if I'd say he was forced to," she mumbled under her breath.

"Oh don't get me wrong. I mean no offense to her royal highness," he said. "It's just, the boy did such a service to us with that whole Twilight thing… if it were me, I would have wanted to retire to a quiet life."

She looked to Link, who was hearing a case from an elderly woman who was having trouble with wolfos attacking her sheep. He was so attentive, leaving his seat to kneel down to her. Out of earshot of the rest, he whispered something to her before calling over one of the guards to help her down the stairs.

"Next case," the herald shouted.

She watched with the others as a few more individuals came forward.

"How many of these are there?" she asked. It was not a task she had been asked to take on during her time filling in for her father.

"T'weren't all that many the first day," the man replied. "At least, not many who asked for help. Most who came were only here to get a look at the hero and future king."

"And now?" she asked, looking around at the crowd packed in on both sides of the great hall.

"Rumors started circulating that whatever requests were made would be dealt with in a day or so."

"Such as?"

He scratched his beard and looked around. "Ah, see that man over there. He told a story about skulltulas outside his home and how their scratching terrified his children every night. A couple of days later, the man returned to thank the Hero because the problem had been taken care of."

"Is that so?" she asked, looking to Link. "Did he give any explanation as to what happened?"

"Not at all. But this wasn't the only such story of a problem being taken care of so thoroughly. Word spread quickly, and now…" He gestured around the room.

She did not take her eyes away from her husband. Even though they barely knew one another, she could tell he was weary. Oh, how he put on a show for the audience, but there was something in his eyes that gave it away.

"I'm sorry," he could be heard saying as he flipped through paperwork. "Diplomatic matters are still new to me."

"I understand," the man before him said. Zelda recognized his livery as that worn by heralds by the neighboring kingdom of Akkala. Why would the council force Link to take on so much all at once? Why would her brother...

She looked to see Daltus smiling off to the side. He seemed to be getting pleasure from seeing Link's discomfort as the diplomat talked about the treaty. That explained it, she thought, but how could she be of help to him if they kept her locked away in her gilded cage.

"You must pardon me," Link interrupted the other man, "but there is another here who has more experience with such matters, and she should be included in this negotiation."

He walked down from the platform and walked down into the crowd, walked toward-

"Princess Zelda," he spoke, extending his hand toward her. "If you would please join me, I would appreciate the help of your wisdom and insight with these sensitive negotiations."

There were gasps and murmurs in the crowd, but none of that mattered. She took his offered hand, and allowed herself to be escorted up to the platform. Her cape was removed by a servant at some point before she made it to the top of the stairs, leaving her feeling exposed in her blue and white gown.

Together, both she and Link worked through the treaty with the diplomat, and once terms had been negotiated, an informal arrangement was ready to be sent back to the neighboring kingdom.

She was impressed with all he had learned in such a short time, and it made her wonder why he felt he could not handle this on his own.

Not long after he had revealed her presence, he asked that the proceedings be ended for the day. With no objections, the people began to file out, though a few lingered behind to call out blessings to the princess and the Hero. When only a handful of nobles remained, Link offered her his arm, which she took with no prompting.

"Sir-" one of the council members began, but he was not given the chance to continue.

"My wife and I would like to spend some time together alone," Link interrupted. "Please cancel all other plans on my itinerary."

"Yes, sir," the man replied, stepping aside to let the pair pass.

They walked in silence through the halls. For her part, Zelda was not sure what to say after so many days spent apart, but she could not think of why Link would not say a word to her. It was like this all the way to their chambers.

"Link-"

He put his finger to his lips, cautioning her to silence as he opened the door to the room.

"Welcome back, Sir," the red-haired lady's maid greeted. "My lady, when did you leave?"

Zelda hadn't really considered what she would say once she had escaped her rooms. "I...um…"

"We would like supper sent up here," Link interjected for her. "Then we would like privacy for the rest of the evening. Could you arrange that for us?"

"Yes, m'lord," she said with a curtsy as she saw herself out.

Link watched the door after she left. "You used the passage, right?" he asked, speaking in a voice a little colder than she was expecting.

She nodded in reply, but when he didn't look at her, she whispered, "Yes."

"Did anyone see you?"

"No."

She heard him let out a sigh of relief. "I'm going to lie down for a bit. Go ahead and eat without me."

Link was gone into the inner bed chamber before she could respond. What had happened to him? He had always been so sweet, so innocent, so kind. Did he know? Did he hate her now? Was this to be her life - marriage to a man who resented her?

She didn't hear the food delivery; it was the smell of it that snapped her back to her senses. Standing, she walked past the table and into the bedroom where her husband lay.

"Link?" she whispered as she walked over to him. When he did not stir, she slipped her fingers through his own, and the warm hand enveloped her own with a gentle squeeze.

He opened his eyes to look into her own. Within seconds, he sat up suddenly and started to pull away from her grasp, but she would not let him go.

"Please," she whispered. "Please don't leave me."

"I won't," he replied. "I only wanted to get a blanket or cloak to wrap you in. You are trembling."

Trembling? Was she? She said nothing, only nodded and released her grasp on his hand. He was gone only seconds before returning with exactly what he had promised, wrapping her up tight and then putting his own arms around her.

After a while, when she had calmed down, her curiosity got the better of her. "Link, I'm confused about everything going on right now." He said nothing in response, only waiting patiently for her to continue. "Do you… are you unhappy with me?"

"I have never once been unhappy with you," he replied. "But if I'm being honest, I had hoped things might be different by now."

"What do you mean?"

"Zelda," he said, his voice breaking. "I am so in love with you, surely you must be aware of this fact by now."

He was what? "You're what?"

"I love you," he repeated with more composure this time. "But I have made a terrible error because it is clear to me now that you don't feel the same."

"What do you mean, I-"

She stopped talking when he stood and walked away from her to look out the window. "Please, don't deny it. I told you I would not touch you again until you asked, so what am I supposed to think when I come to our chambers every night and find you sound asleep. It is quite clear that you want nothing to do with me."

"No," she cried. "I have tried waiting up for you, but you are always gone so late."

"With schedules that keep me busy from sunup to sundown. Schedules that you approve," he replied calmly. "Everything I have done has been to please you."

"I approve?" she asked in complete shock. "I have not done anything for days other than sit and read books and papers. I have been trapped alone in these horrid rooms, the only person I've spoken to besides my maids is-."

"Daltus," he finished for her. She nodded, confirming his suspicions. "I've seen enough of him myself recently."

"He's…" she whispered so softly, she wasn't even sure he could hear.

Link returned to her on the bed. "Go on," he prompted. "He's what?"

"Dangerous," she finished, and with those words, a floodgate opened. She pressed herself into his chest and cried tears she hadn't known would still exist. "I… Link, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but on our wedding night, when you and I… there shouldn't have been any blood."

"I know."

"What, you what?"

He held up his finger to show a tiny scratch that had nearly healed. "It was my blood, not yours. I didn't get any on you, only the sheets when I was cleaning us up."

"How?"

"My earring," he said, pointing to one of the blue hoops. "I may not know much about this life you live, but when I figured out what your brother was up to that night, I was determined to foil his plan."

She didn't know how to respond. All this time, she had been led to believe her mistakes would destroy her future and send her into a terrible match. She never considered the fact that the man she'd end up marrying someone she'd actually care about. "There wasn't supposed to be blood," she said again.

"You don't have to explain anything to me," he replied. "Your past doesn't matter."

"You've already heard the stories," she said sadly. He gave a slight nod to affirm her suspicions were correct. "I'd like you to hear it all from me. I don't know if it will change what you think, but I don't want you to wonder," she said. He nodded again, giving her the go ahead to continue. "I grew up riding horses. Even as a young girl, I craved escape from the palace and the trite gossip of noble girls. Eventually it was the stable-boy who became my first and only real friend, and in time, he was the first boy I ever kissed." She paused, giving Link a chance to ask any questions he might have.

"Your brother knew about this?"

She nodded. "Yes, and I suspect it was he who first started circulating the rumors about us. It frightened the stable-boy, who distanced himself from me after that. I was upset and went riding, but I had failed to check that the saddle was properly fastened. My horse was spooked, and I…"

"You fell?"

"Yes," she whispered. "The stable-boy was the first to find me down in a ravine. I was a mess, my clothes were torn and bloody from the fall, so when he carried me back, everyone thought he had…" She choked up. Even after all this time. "It was my own fault, but it was the stable-boy who was blamed and worse. There was nothing I could do or say to defend him, and he was..." She paused again and took a deep breath. "And then, the royal physician delivered more news: my lower region had been jostled in the fall and my maidenhood ruptured. I would not bleed on my wedding night, making me no longer viable for marriage negotiations."

This time, Link said nothing.

"By the time I realized that it meant my future had been stolen from me, word about my condition was too widespread to stop. As I got older, Daltus constantly used it against me, spreading rumors and lies. That's why he was gone from Hyrule during the attack. He was off trying to arrange my marriage to some dusty old foreign earl who wouldn't care about my virginity, but would still be willing to pay loads of money for my name."

"I must have been a huge disappointment then."

"Only to him." She felt herself give a smile, her first in who knows how long. Then, becoming serious again, she said, "Link, I do care for you. I've never been very good about showing emotion or affection. I would like… I wish to prove that to you. I want to feel you… I want us to…"

"Say it," he whispered.

"Make love to me," she whispered, overcome with embarrassment.

His lips captured her own, all of the passion and vigor he had been holding back suddenly surging through her. At first she worried about what to do, where to put her hands was especially troublesome. She finally settled with entwining them in the blanket until he pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm still not sure what to do."

"It'll be an adventure for us both to share." When that did not help to calm her, he tried to lighten the mood by asking, "Shall I take the lead on our expedition?"

His joke was terrible, but it made her laugh a little, probably from awkwardness more than anything else, but it did help make her feel calm. She gave a nod, indicating that she was ready to proceed.

He pulled gently at a lace, but stopped before the bow came undone. "If you want to stop at any point-"

"I will tell you, I promise," she assured him. "And if there is something I can do…"

"Explore," he whispered in her ear as he continued on.

She let go of the blanket and raised her hand to trace the outline of his jaw. Underneath the skin, she could feel his facial muscles raise into a smile. Reassured by the response, she moved the other hand up to run her fingers through his hair. For this, he leaned in and kissed her once more on the lips, pulling back on a little to kiss her next on her neck, an area she had never realized to be so sensitive. She squirmed a little and unconsciously moved her hand from his jaw down to his chest where she could feel his heart racing.

They both stopped and looked at one another in the midst of their investigating. Her eyes saw his hands had stopped their movement, for it seemed they were now the only thing keeping her dress covering her upper region. She could sense that he wanted her approval, and though he already had it, she wanted to reassure him it was okay to continue.

"Explore," she whispered to him as she continued to run her fingers through his hair.

They both did just that, and after a satisfying session of passionate love-making, the only sound that could be heard was of the pair gasping for breath. Zelda, who typically found herself overthinking everything, suddenly found herself unable to keep a single thought in her head. Feeling a mixture of dizziness and euphoria, she giggled and pressed her body up against Link's.

He kissed her on the nose. "Did you enjoy that adventure, Princess?"

"Very much," she affirmed. "You?"

"Exploration, action, treasure…" His words hung in the air as he tucked a locket of her hair behind her ear. "I could go on this mission again and again, and I think I would find something new every time."

"Cute," she said. "Terribly unpoetic, but cute."

He shrugged. "I'm a hero, not a writer."

That night, the couple blissfully fell asleep in each other's arms, completely unaware of what was happening in another part of the castle, not knowing that the next day, their lives would drastically change once more.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter has been edited here because the Mature rating does not allow for explicit content. If you want to read the full, unedited piece, you can find the story with the same name (title and author) on AO3. Any chapter that has been edited here will have an asterisks by the chapter title.


	4. Irremediable

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Title: Dawn's Early Light  
Chapter 4: Irremediable  
Author: Sailor Song  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_IRREMEDIABLE (adjective): Not capable of being repaired, regained, or undone_

… … …

Satisfied. There was no other word that could more perfectly describe how she felt when she began to stir the following morning. Perhaps well-fucked was more accurate, but that was too crude for her to say out loud. She had been raised as a lady after all.

She turned over and reached out her hands, only to find that she was all alone in the bed. Disappointed, she sat up and looked around in the still darkened room.

Determined to not allow the previous night to be an anomaly, she grabbed the nearest garment and threw it on before moving into the adjoining room.

"Hello, sister."

Shit, not him. Not today.

"Who keeps letting you in here?" she asked. Her surprise at his being in her room caused her to speak to him with more venom than she normally used when navigating through a conversation with him.

He either didn't notice her tone or ignored it. "I see you are appropriately dressed in a manner that befits your reputation," Daltus replied, looking down at the white chemise of Link's that she had pulled on. "You need to come with me," he said gruffly as he locked his grasp around her arm.

"I will not," she said as she tugged against him, but to no avail. Against her will, he pulled her roughly from her quarters and into the hall. A few of the servants moved quickly out of their way by flattening themselves against the wall as the pair walked past. "Let me go. I'm not dressed."

He ignored her, even as she tried to struggle against him. The castle's drafty halls brought a chill from her bare legs up to her rear end, causing her to constantly keep tugging down the bottom of the shirt to keep herself covered. It distracted her so much that she did not even realize where they were going until he suddenly came to a stop.

"Father's rooms? Daltus, what is going on?"

Outside, the castle bells began to ring. It was rare to hear them for they were meant to warn of attack, to celebrate occasions of great joy, or to announce times of great sadness.

"Go on," he said, finally releasing her.

She walked in to see a bustling of servants, many of whom were covering furniture in linens. One in particular drew her attention as he took a black cloth and draped it over the large floor mirror.

"No," she whispered. "No. No no no- Daddy?"

She rushed past them all until she made it to the inner chamber. In the center of the bed, covered with a thin veil, was her father. The King of Hyrule was dead.

"Princess Zelda," the deep voice of her father's butler said as he draped one of her father's heavy robes around her, "you should not be here, at least, not alone."

"Bastian, I don't understand." There hadn't been any change in his condition in all this time. "What… how… when did he…"

"Sometime in the night, Princess. The maid was in the next room and said he did not make a sound. Let it be a comfort to you to know that he was not in any pain when he... It was a peaceful passing."

She looked at the shell of the man. He looked exactly the same as he had during all of her other visits. "Can I have a moment alone with him?"

"Of course," he said. With a clap of the hands, all of the servants set down what they had been doing and quietly left the room. "I will be in earshot. You need only call, and I shall return."

"Wait. Would you send for Link? I could really use him beside me right now."

"At once, Your High- I mean, Your Majesty," he said with a bow.

She watched him leave, not having the strength to look back to the bed where her heart would break all over again. Her breath caught as she watched one foot after another move forward until she reached the edge of the bed. Gasping she looked up. Gone? How could such a strong man no longer be alive? Why, after everything that had happened, had the goddesses decided now was the moment to take him from his people?

"About time the old man finally gave it up."

Her breath quickened as she attempted to figure out how to get away from him, but in her grief, she could not think clearly. With blurred vision, she barely managed to keep her feet.

"It must be a great relief for you and your… hero."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come now, you know" he said, seeming to insinuate he was in on some secret with her. "While our father slept on, you two could do whatever you wanted. But if he woke up, if he protested the marriage and nullified the ancient queen's proclamation, he would stand in the way of your plans."

_What plans?_ she asked herself, but having slipped up once, she avoided speaking.

"What plans, you must be asking yourself?" he continued anyway. "Or more accurately, you must be wondering how I know about them."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she said, unable to help herself.

"Oh." His eyes softened and became full of pity. "Oh my dear sweet baby sister, you really didn't have any clue, did you?"

"You aren't making any sense," she said. "Where is Bastian? I asked him to get Link."

"Your precious hero isn't coming," her brother replied. "He is in the dungeons awaiting trial and execution for murdering the King of Hyrule."

She stared at him in disgust. "Your jokes have never been funny."

"I'm not joking," he said in a voice that emphatically expressed that he wasn't. He became very serious and even conveyed a look of concern as he continued. "You have to tell me that you had nothing to do with his plan to kill our father. It is urgent that you do this moment, and I will do everything in my power to keep you out of the cells."

"What, Daltus, I… there was no plan. Last night was the first time I had even spoken to Link since our wedding."

"Good, I will tell the council that."

"What? Daltus, I-"

"Don't worry. I'll look out for you. Maybe they'll take pity and only give you life in prison. Guards!"

Zelda cried out as a group of soldiers entered.

"Take Princess Zelda back to her chambers."

"No, don't. Please, don't," she cried out as they surrounded her and began to lead her away. "I didn't get to say goodbye to father. Please, please, let me say goodbye. Let me say-"

"Show some decorum, sister," he interrupted. "If you are lucky, I may be able to get permission for you to attend the funeral."

… … …

In the land of Hyrule, the passing of a member of the royal family was celebrated with a three days of mourning, known better as a celebration of life. On the first day, the body is draped with a green cloth and brave Farore was honored with clippings of the deceased's hair and nails planted with a new crop of trees. In the goddess's name, the people are comforted in knowing that part of their beloved monarch will live on by nourishing life throughout the land. On the second, a cloth of blue is added and wise Nayru was honored as stories of the deceased were shared and documented for posterity. In the goddess's name, the monarch's life will be recorded for his or her subjects and predecessors, either by inspiring through a life of good deeds or serving as a cautionary tale of the pitfalls a ruler should avoid. On the third and final day, the body of the deceased was covered in a red and final cloth, offered up to powerful Din in a great fire. In the goddess's name, the people pray for the monarch's soul to join the goddesses in the sky. The belief held by many was that the best and most worthy rulers would become constellations to guide and watch over the land for eternity.

Zelda had spent the first two days of her father's funeral confined to her chambers and under the watchful eye of Hylian guards. She was not even permitted to use the privy without one of them following her, as though they suspected her to climb down through the filth just to get away.

Well, perhaps the idea had crossed her mind more than once.

The easiest solution was to use the secret passageway to try to escape, but Daltus either knew about it or suspected its existence by now, hence the aforementioned lack of privacy.

On the last day of mourning, she was given permission to attend the service under very strict orders that she was to dress in all black, including a veil to cover her face. The condition she had to swear to follow at all times was to stay within arms length of the guard assigned to her. Wearily, she surrendered to the terms, knowing it was her last chance to say goodbye to the king. To her father.

It hit her hardest as she watched her father's pyre begin to burn. In all of the confusion over Link and what role he was accused of playing in her father's death, as well as having to defend her own innocence, she had forgotten to actually mourn the loss of her father. Seeing his outline begin to catch fire, she became overwhelmed, suddenly grateful for the veil that hid her away from the prying eyes of curious citizens..

"Sir knight, I'm afraid I am going to collapse," she whispered to the guard who had been escorting her since morning.

He nodded and turned away to speak softly to his comrade.

"Keep her safe," the soldier replied. It seemed an odd thing to say, but she supposed that, given the heightened alert in the castle, the guards were on edge.

The guard signaled for her to walk ahead, but he kept very close - so close, in fact, that she could almost feel his hand guiding her. It was only when they had passed through the southern gate that she realized they had walked quite farther than she'd thought.

"It's so quiet here," she said. "I suppose that's because everyone's at the funer…" He remained silent and let her wander a little further out, so she walked to the railing and looked down at the water spilling down and collecting in the pool below. There was a treasure chest sitting in the middle of a platform. She stared at it curiously, wondering how it even got there.

"Missed that one," the guard mused to himself.

She turned to him curiously, but a sudden feeling of queasiness struck her. She ran down to the grassy area and closed her eyes as she retched out the contents of her stomach. Her nerves had been in knots for days, and she hadn't been able to eat until she was practically forced to - threatened to - that morning. When the last of it was out, she tried plucking some of the long grass to cover her mess, but it did little to help hide the sick.

"Allow me," the guard said. He swung his sword fiercely, cutting down a pair of branches that he handed over to her. A reckless move to make so close to the princess of Hyrule. Almost like when Link had launched an arrow at the rat, because he knew he would not miss.

She looked up at the guard, whose face was partially obscured by the helmet. His eyes. Were they...

"Zelda, what are you doing all the way out here?" her brother hissed with a legion of guards at his back. He walked up and kicked aside the branches, revealing the mess she had just made.

"I got a little sick-" she began, but Daltus cut her off.

"That's more than a little sick. Could it be… are you pregnant?"

Pregnant? Her hand flew to the part of her stomach that gave a slight flutter. Pregnant with Link's child? The man accused of killing her father?

"I… I don't know…" she sputtered out. They had only twice been intimate. She was not naive; she knew once was enough. She just hadn't really thought it was possible.

"Has he not been visiting you in secret, dumping loads of his seed into you during this period where you should be mourning the death of our great father?"

Goddesses, he was infuriating, even now. "What do you mean? Of course I haven't seen him. Don't you have him locked up while he awaits trial?"

"Trial? There will be no trial. The second I locate that bastard he is dead, and if you keep protecting him, I will make sure that you both die together."

"I haven't seen him," she said. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched her guard shift slightly. At once she understood. Daltus never had Link locked up in the dungeons. She had been misled, hidden away, used as bait to trap and capture him.

She had been a hostage once, held with all of the people of Hyrule as collateral. No freedom until the moment she gave her life force over to Midna. She would rather die than spend one more moment in captivity again. Never again.

Her mind made up, she spun around and grabbed the sword from the guard's scabbard.

"Zelda, just what do you think you are doing?" Daltus said, throwing his hands up when she pointed the blade in his direction. The sword was much heavier than her rapier, so she knew instantly that she could only keep up this act for a short time. "You are only making a scene."

Unfortunately, another wave of nausea hit her, and in the split second she began to heave, the knight reclaimed his sword.

"Ah good good. You've had your fun, and I daresay you've earned a few extra days of solitary confinement for this little adventure. Let's go back and-"

"No," she said, wiping the sick from her mouth. "I'm never going back. I won't let you lock me in that cage again."

"You have two choices: either you come back with me RIGHT NOW, or you die!"

So, in essence, death was her only option. Behind him, the smoke from her father's funeral pyre could be seen rising up to the sky. As she watched it, she could hear water flowing nearby.

"What will it be?"

"I won't be anyone's prisoner," she replied. "Not again." Knowing she wouldn't get far in Hyrule Field without a horse, that left only one option. Having already slipped off her shoes, she rushed past the guard and headed for the sound of the water. It was an act of desperation, and there was every possibility that she wouldn't survive.

"Get her, get her!" she could hear Daltus screaming. When she turned, the guard had already closed the gap between them, coming within inches of her. His footsteps had been so silent. She looked at him, and suddenly, she couldn't believe she hadn't recognized him sooner.

"Link?" she whispered. At first she was relieved to see him after so many days, but then upon remembering why it had been so long, she backed away, edging dangerously close to the water. "Did you do it? Did you murder my father?"

"No," he answered simply. "I swear upon my life."

Of course he didn't. She believed him, but fear of her brother, of what he was capable of doing to them both if she blew Link's cover, caused her to freeze.

"After we made love that night," he continued, "I waited until you fell asleep and I left to take care of some wolfos outside of town. I had intended to be back before you woke, but I was ambushed, delaying my return. By the time I reached the walls, the bells had already begun to ring."

So Daltus had lied to her. One look at her brother confirmed it. She knew that wasn't a stretch to believe, especially when he taunted, "Come now, Zelda, your hysterics are causing a scene. End this now and come back inside before you make things worse for yourself."

She looked back to her disguised husband, his hand outstretched to her. "What will it be, my little adventurer?"

With only a second's thought, she grabbed his hand and said, "Explore."

She heard her brother curse before he cried out, "That's him! Get him. Do not let him escape!"

"Come on," Link said as he hurriedly pulled off his helmet and chainmail. "The water is the only way out."

"Wait! I don't know how to swim," she realized in a panic. "Link, you'll have to go without me."

"Never," he replied as he wrapped his arms around her. Without warning, she felt her feet leave the ground, and in seconds, the cold waters of the Zora's River enveloped her. After what felt like forever, her head emerged above the icy current and she took in a mix of air and water. Her vision was blurred as she looked to the man holding her, his face no longer obstructed by the helmet. "This next part will be the worst," he shouted to her over the roar of the rapids. "Take a deep breath and hold tight to me."

She did as she was told and shut her eyes tight, but the roar of the waterfall was impossible to miss. As they went over and crashed down into the waters below, she felt herself separated from Link and dragged below the surface. She was soon desperate for air, but it was impossible to attempt to pull herself upward as her funeral dress was becoming heavy from the weight of the water it had absorbed. Weakened, she struggled to keep up the fight.

Her thoughts soon darkened, and as she sensed that this might just be the end, she felt something, a foreign power deep inside her, begin to stir. From a hidden place within her heart and mind, it felt as though it was clawing its way back into existence in its desperation to survive. The presence was tearing apart her very soul as she felt a shadow begin to overtake her.

… … …

Everything was black, blurry, cold. She was faintly aware of her body convulsing, expelling the cold water that felt like lavas of Death Mountain expelling from her lungs. The first sensation she was aware of besides pain was of warm hands gently running along the sides of her face.

"Mama?" she tried to ask, but her voice was sore and strained from the coughing.

"No, not Midna," Link said softly to her. "It's only-" Whatever else he said was lost as she cried out in pain. She could feel his hands gripping her arms. "She's so cold." There was a hint of alarm in his voice that she was not used to hearing from the cool-headed Hero of Hyrule. "Why isn't she improving?"

There was a voice, new but somehow familiar. "It is as you feared. The King of Evil was never going to stop. He corrupted her when he took control of her body."

"But Midna returned her life force. Shouldn't the Triforce of Courage have cleansed her of his presence?"

"Yes, but the mind contains caverns that even the brightest light cannot penetrate. It had been lying dormant, waiting for an opportunity to resurface. Has something caused her distress lately?"

She tried to open her eyes, but the light was so bright it was painful. All she could do was listen as Link described everything she had been through lately: her brother's return, her father's death, her being forced into marrying him. At that moment, she wanted so badly to speak up, to tell him that he had been her only comfort through it all, but the pain was rapidly getting worse.

"Her skin is getting pale," she heard Link say. "These veins, I've seen this before-"

"It knows," the other voice said. "You are out of time. It's chosen possession instead of rebirth. Link, this has to happen now if you want me to save her."

"I won't lose her. Not now." She could feel Link's lips on her forehead. "Save her, Lanayru. Please, save her." His voice was cracking.

"Zelda?" the voice said. "Princess Zelda. Open your eyes."

She did as she was told, and the last thing she saw was a serpent before being swallowed by golden-white light.


	5. Unfetter

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Title: Dawn's Early Light  
Chapter 5: Unfetter  
Author: Sailor Song  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_UNFETTER (verb): release from restraint or inhibition_

… … …

The body is quite amazing if one stops to consider the wonder of it all. When threatened, it has amazing self-preservation tools. For instance, faced with extreme cold, the warmth is drawn inward to keep the vital organs protected for as long as possible, even if it means loss for extremities such as fingers and toes. The mind is not all that different. When faced with adversity, it forms a hardness, almost like a barrier, that protects and allows a person to continue on. The problem is, that barrier can become too hard, numbing one to a life of coldness and lack of connection with others.

When Zelda awoke, she was acutely aware of everything before she had even opened her eyes to look around. It wasn't just the water lapping against the shore, nor the cool, damp grass against her skin. No, she could sense EVERYTHING: the smell of the storm hours away on the distant horizon, the sounds of the squirrels fighting over a hole to store their food for the winter, the taste of courser bee honey - the earthy kind that can only be harvested near Faron Woods.

There was something else too. An arm that wrapped around her, attached to a warmth that was like being out in the sun on a warm summer's day. It held her close, it was protective. Safe.

… … …

The next time she became conscious, the heavy smell of rain filled the air. She slowly opened her eyes, but it was difficult to see in the darkness that surrounded her. The warmth was gone, and she was entirely alone.

"Link?" she whispered.

There were footsteps followed by, "My lady, you are awake?"

She sat up in a panic. That voice? Her lady's maid? Had she been captured and returned to the castle? No, beneath her was grass, not the silk comforter of her bed or the hard stone of the dungeon floor.

The soft, twinkling light of a fairy in a bottle could be seen approaching. Behind it, the red haired lady's maid from the castle.

She gave a tsk and said, "I told that idiot this would happen while he was gone."

"What is going on?" Zelda asked, noticing suddenly that she was no longer wearing her mourning dress, instead a basic tunic and pair of leggings. No shoes, but at least she had a better chance of getting away in this outfit.. "I won't go anywhere with you."

"Good," the maid replied, kneeling down. "You shouldn't be moving around too much." She raised the bottled fairy up, inspecting and scrutinizing Zelda's face before finally saying, "Stay still, and I'll get you some water."

Zelda watched as she walked off down and out of sight, returning only seconds later with a second bottle containing a clear liquid.

"Drink."

Not used to being ordered around, she could only stare in confusion before finally asking, "Who sent you?"

"Many people sent me for a lot of different reasons."

"Could you please just answer the question?" she asked. There was no way for her to defend herself and nowhere she could run to, seeing as she had no idea where she actually was. "You were at the castle. Are you going to try to take me back?"

"If I take you back, I will be a prisoner too," the maid replied.

"Why is that? Aren't you a noble lady?"

"I am, but I was not considered one in the land where I was born," the maid said. "Your brother purchased me in the neighboring kingdom, but that was not originally my home. It was not the home of my people."

"What are you saying?"

"I am a daughter of Gerudo Tribe chieftains. When our king was captured and sentenced to die, the surviving members of my people fled Hyrule in exile. The neighboring kingdoms looked down upon us, and we were forced into slavery."

"But…" Zelda began, but found herself at a loss with a million thoughts running through her mind. Lamely, she came up with, "I read that Gerudos were tall with dark skin."

Without losing a beat, the maid retorted, "I was told that the princesses of Hyrule were supposed to have yellow hair."

Touche.

The maid continued on. "My people have been enslaved for countless decades... centuries. Forgive me if I don't live up to your stereotype."

Before Zelda could say anything in reply, the maid stood and walked away, leaving Zelda alone in the cave with only a bottled fairy for light.

"Poor thing," she said. Pulling the cork, she smiled as the fairy twinked a song and sped off. "Be free." She stood, her legs not strong enough to support her at first, but in time, she was able to walk in the direction that the maid had gone. She found her not far from the mouth of the cavern, sitting alone on the stone slabs.

"I'm sorry for being insensitive towards you," Zelda said, sitting down beside the maid. "I am confused and tired, but that doesn't give me the right to be rude."

The maid put her hand on Zelda's. "It is fine. Link said you would be a little disoriented if you did wake up."

"Link?" she asked, running her hand along a few blades of horse grass, enjoying the feel of the fuzzy sensation that tickled her fingertips. "Where is he?"

"Link is away," she replied. "There was only one place that you two could have possibly ended up after your - may I say, idiotic - escape, and that was in Lake Hylia. He is off leading the guards and your brother away from here on a fool's errand."

Ah, so she *was* still in Lake Hylia. Looking out, she took in the sparking moonlit waters.

"My lady?" the girl said when she was silent for too long.

"I'm Zelda," she replied.

"Yes, Your Highness, I know who you are," the maid replied, a little confused.

"No, I mean, I would like you to call me Zelda," she insisted. "Not 'Your Highness' or 'my lady.' No honorifics. Just Zelda"

The girl looked at her and gave a knowing smile. "I'm Naboo. That's my real name, not the one the slavers gave me."

"Naboo?"

"I was named for my great ancestor, Nabooru, just as you were named for yours." Neither spoke for a while, until Naboo said, "I feel I must apologize. Your brother purchased me in the hopes that I could help him resurrect the Demon King. He made me swear that I would do this." Zelda looked at her in surprise. "I did nothing of the sort," she said hurriedly. "The surviving members of my people hate Ganondorf for what he did to us, regardless of his intentions. If anything, I worked against the prince by helping Link."

"What do you mean?"

"Speak to your husband. I think that's a conversation you need to have with him." Thunder rumbled, indicating that the storm had more coming. "Come. We should get you back inside."

Zelda accepted her hand and rose a little unsteadily to her feet. "Naboo, why are you helping us? Can you at least tell me that?"

"Link promised to help me if he could. Help my people. I believe him to be honest. There is no deceit in his eyes."

That was the truth. All of the politicians she had dealt with in her short stint ruling the kingdom had been some of the most vicious and cruel, full of manipulation and backstabbing. Link, by comparison, was so innocent, so pure.

"I like being here too. This lake, I mean," Naboo said. "This is the closest I have ever come to returning to the land of my people."

"I've been there," Zelda said solemnly. "The Gerudo Desert… I'm sorry, but it is completely barren. It's a wasteland."

"Maybe it looked that way to you, a Hylian who is used to the forests and lakes. To me, a Gerudo… I am of the sand, of the red earth, and I long to see it."

Zelda smiled at her. "I hope you get the chance very soon."

… … …

The cavern was so dark she had trouble keeping regular hours while she and Naboo waited for Link to return. After a few days, once her strength had returned, she wanted to stretch her legs for a bit.

"I'll be right back," she whispered to Naboo.

"Don't drown in the lake," the Gerudo said, rolling over.

Zelda smirked and tip-toed out, first checking from the shadows to make sure that no one was around. After learning that they were staying in a spring dedicated to a spirit of light, she felt it would be disrespectful to wash in or relieve herself near its waters. As long as she was careful, as long as she made sure she was alone, her companion felt it would be fine for her to leave the confines of the cavern.

She sat at the water's edge and dipped her legs into the cool lake water. Scooting to the edge, she lowered herself down. Holding tight to the stone steps, she began to kick her legs. She wasn't sure if this is how one learned to swim, but she had to try. Whatever was coming for her, whatever her future held, she was not going to be anyone's burden. Not anymore.

"Nice night for a swim?"

She let out a shriek in surprise and lost her grip on the ledge. Before her head went under the water, she heard a shout. As calm as possible, she kicked her legs and was able to bring herself up to the surface on her own. Beside her, another head emerged from the water, coughing up water. She was about to attempt to flee to the spirit's spring when she heard him sputter out, "Zelda."

She turned back to the coughing man. "Link?"

He nodded but continued coughing as she pulled him over to the ledge.

"I thought you could breathe underwater," she said as his coughing slowed.

"Normal…*cough*...ly, yes," he said, "if I have *cough* time to change first."

She stared at him as his breathing returned to normal, and once she was sure he was okay, she lunged forward and threw her arms around him.

"Well, that was unexpected," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

She thought about it. It was unexpected, but at the same time, it felt very much like her, at least, the version of herself she wanted to be. She pulled back slightly and leaned in to press her lips against his. There was no response at first, causing her to think she had made a mistake, but suddenly, her kiss was returned passionately. Hungrily. The man on the other end seemed ravenous as though he wanted to consume her, as she felt something firm press against her hip.

This new, brave version of her began to let her hand explore, moving from his neck, down to his chest where she hesitated. _Have courage, Zelda,_ she thought to herself and pressed her hand against the bulge in his wet trousers.

Link, clearly surprised, broke their kiss and began coughing again.

"This is not going well," she said, her spirits feeling a little dampered.

"I'm sorry," he replied. "Maybe we should talk first." She nodded in agreement, and he lifted her out of the water and set her on the stone ledge before hoisting himself out and sitting beside her.

They sat in awkward silence, listening as the waters of Lake Hylia lapped against the shore.

"Naboo said-" "I led them-"

"Sorry, go ahead."

"No, you first."

Silence again. Zelda wished she could undo this whole encounter, but life isn't something that can be restarted with the push of a button. She looked over to him to take in what she could see of Link glistening in the moonlight. Wrapped around his arm was a bright white bandage that stood out against his dark fabric of tunic.

"You're hurt?"

He looked confused, and then looked down. "Oh, no. It's nothing serious. There is a group searching for us, and I may have been a little overconfident about my arrow dodging skills."

"Naboo told me you were leading them away."

"Naboo, huh? Nice to know you two are on friendly terms now."

She wasn't sure she could call the maid a friend. "She's warming up to me," Zelda replied. "Link, she told me some of what had been happening. She said my brother wanted to resurrect Ganondorf, but she said she worked against him, worked with you, to stop it."

"Did she tell you how?"

"She said I should talk to you."

He took a deep breath. "I, well, Naboo and I both, suspected that Ganondorf would use every possible means to attempt resurrection, and…" He paused and took her by the hand, giving her a gentle squeeze. "And the most likely place for him to hide was-"

"Me."

Link nodded. "The easiest scenario was for him to be reborn, and what we feared most was that it would be with your blood, your power. It would make him immune to any light attacks, and everyone would be doomed. If he gained power over Hyrule, the Sacred Realm, the Triforce…" He took another deep breath. "There is a plant, back in my homeland, that we had to keep the goats from eating or they wouldn't be able to conceive."

"The tea?"

"Yeah," he groaned. "The tea. It was wrong, and I am so sorry, but I was worried about telling you in case somehow he had the power to sense a threat to his plan. Then, when you nearly drowned while we were escaping, he tried to possess you again." He paused and scratched at his bandaged arm. "Do you have any questions for me?"

She looked at him. "No."

"Really?" he asked. "None?"

"I knew something was wrong with me," she replied, "and though I couldn't figure out what it was, you found a way to protect me. You saved me." She kicked her leg slightly and let the water swirl around. "He's gone, I can tell. I feel like a new person."

"That was the other thing I wanted to tell you," Link said, this time looking down at his folded hands. "You can have a new life now that you are away from the castle, but you are not completely free. Not yet anyway. I forced you into things… marriage and all that came with it."

She stood and wrapped her arms around herself. What was he saying? "I thought you were… You told me that you were in love with me."

"I did," he replied. "I still am." He stood quickly and walked over to her. "However, that doesn't mean I have the right to dictate your life, your future. If you wanted to have your freedom, I just want you to be happy. It's entirely your choice, but know that whatever you decide, I mean, if you feel it's best we take separate paths, I will respect that."

She didn't say a word for quite a while. Every moment of her life had been planned up until she chose to flee the castle. Now, she was expected to decide the rest of her life. "Do I have to tell you right now?"

"No, of course not," he told her. "Take your time."

She nodded her head. "I'm tired. I think I'll try to get some sleep." _Come with me._

"You should," he replied. "I'll stay out here for a bit longer."

She bid him goodnight and started walking back into the mouth of the cavern, but stopped and turned. "Link?"

"Yes?"

_I love you too._ "I... " _Say it._ "I… am glad you came back safe."

… … …

"My lady?"

"Not now," she groaned. "Just a little longer." She was having a magnificent dream, and though she could not remember it now, she was desperate to hold on to it..

"Now, Zelda!" Naboo's sharp address caused her eyes to snap open. The maid looked distraught, which was disconcerting in its own way. "It's Link."

She sat up and looked around, finding him lying in a crumpled up, uncomfortable position near the entrance to the cave. He was shivering, but in the warm humid cavern, it was impossible to believe that it was because he was cold unless he had suddenly become ill.

"Look, his arm."

"He said the wound wasn't serious." Zelda's gaze landed on the once-white bandage that was now soaked crimson with his blood. "Poison." On instinct, she stretched out her hands, intent on using her powers to heal his injury, but nothing happened.

"If you are trying to heal him with magic, you are still too weak," Naboo replied. "The light spirit has also not reappeared since it healed you."

"Then what do we do?" He couldn't die. She wouldn't let him. She hadn't even told him-

"...riko," he struggled to say.

"What is he saying?" Naboo said.

Zelda knelt down, putting her ears close to his lips.

"Ka...riko."

She jumped up.

"What will we do, my lady?"

"We're getting him help," she said as she ran out to locate the blades of horse grass she had seen a few days prior, praying to the goddesses that Epona would come when she called.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've got to say WOW at the response to this story, especially at your feedback about Daltus. It made me nervous to create an OC, but I'm glad he's resonating. Thank you SO MUCH for the kind words and encouragement. I'm trying for a chapter a month (squeaked this one in!), but work has been crazy with everything going on. Hopefully, June will be a bit calmer, but I do like this chapter, so no complaints here! :)


	6. Abditory

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Title: Dawn's Early Light  
Chapter 6: Abditory*  
Author: Sailor Song  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_ABDITORY (noun): a concealed location used for storage or to hide items_

… … …

"Princess," the shaman began, "I'm sorry, I hate to ask this, but…"

She smiled at him. What he was about to tell her wasn't unexpected; afterall, this was the second time soldiers from the castle had come through Kakariko Village asking questions of the leader. She'd only hoped there would be a little more time.

"It's okay, Renado," she said. "I do not wish to put you, your daughter, or your people in any more danger than we already have. I'm grateful to you for all you've done."

"You can stay another night," he offered kindly. "And it would be my honor to escort you to another safe haven."

"Thank you," she replied as the hand she was holding gave hers a gentle squeeze. "However, I think it's best for your safety that you do not know where we go next."

"I appreciate that, Your Highness," he said. As he walked away, he turned back before reaching the door. "You and Link have our support. If you ever attempt to reclaim the throne, you have the allegiance of Kakariko Village."

She thanked him again and turned back to her patient, replacing the damp cloth on his forehead. The hot springs, the Light Spirit Eldin, and the knowledge of Shaman Renado had all used their powers and knowledge to make Link stable, but he hadn't recovered. The arrow that had struck him had been coated with a paralysis poison unknown throughout Hyrule. Naboo had been familiar with the effects, and was currently on a mission to locate the plant that could provide the antidote. "Did you hear all of that?"

He squeezed her hand again. This was the most they had been able to communicate since he had fallen ill. He had never been overly chatty, but his guileless nature was such that he could not hide his feelings from being expressed through his facial features. This complete silence from him was disconcerting.

"Link," she began, "about that talk we had… and I know it's not really fair of me to do this when you can't reply… oh, what am I saying? You were a wolf when we first met." As she paused to collect her thoughts, she felt his finger run gently over her hand. "You've met my brother, so you have at least a small understanding of what growing up was like for me. My father wasn't like Daltus, but in some ways he was worse." She sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye. "He was always busy, but he knew what my brother was doing. No secrets were kept from the king of Hyrule."

Her face burned as hot tears began streaming down her face. "I've always wanted to be part of a real family," she choked out. "No one has said that they loved me in a very long time, not since I lost my mom. I think I have just been afraid that if I said… if I said it back to you, everything would all get taken away from me again."

She remembered herself and became embarrassed by the lack of decorum she was displaying. Dabbing herself with a handkerchief, she gave a sniffle and cleared her throat. Confident that she had regained her composure, she finished by saying, "I would like to understand what it means to love someone. I don't know if I even deserve the kind of love that I've only ever read about in stories, but if you can be patient with me, I promise to do everything I can to prove how much you mean to me."

As she looked at him, she wished her words could somehow free him from the sickness from which he suffered. His breathing was so shallow, his only proof of life was the weak rhythm of his heart beating in his chest. Pressing her ear against him, she closed her eyes and listened to the faint sound of life.

… … …

"I've got it!"

Zelda jumped up so fast, she fell from her seat and landed hard on the wooden floor. She must have fallen asleep against his chest while listening to the weak rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Get up," Naboo said, her voice a mix of bemusement and hast. "I need you to help me lift him up so we can get him to drink this," she said, showing off a bottle of shimmering liquid.

It took the pair of them to lift him - he was heavier than she'd thought - and with Zelda propping him up, Naboo was able to administer the antidote.

"How long does it take to-" Before she could finish the question, Link began to cough and his body spasmed.

"Quickly, put him on his side."

Zelda did as she was told and not a moment too soon for not long after, Link began throwing up.

"It's all liquid," she said, looking away as her own stomach began to turn.

"Did you think he was waking up and eating steaks while you were sleeping?" Naboo replied. Zelda didn't mind; she had missed the sarcasm.

Link's retching began to slow, but he suddenly began coughing forcefully. After a few rounds, he was able to expel a large, reddish-purple clump before falling limp in Zelda's arms. Before she could even begin to worry, Naboo said, "He's fine. That's what was supposed to happen."

"What is that?" she asked, trying to distract herself from the disgusting blob on the wooden floor by wiping the cold sweat from his face.

"The poison was starting to clot together in the lungs. The antidote expelled it before he fell into an eternal slumber," Naboo explained. "Now that it's out, he should recover quickly."

"Thank you," Zelda whispered. "While you were gone, guards came through. We can't stay here much longer, but I don't know what to do. Where are we supposed to go?"

"This is your land, my lady," Naboo replied. "It is a shame you do not know it better."

True as it was, it still stung her through the heart. She was never meant to become the ruler until Link's sudden stunt that put her directly in the line of succession.

"I know a safe place," a small, hoarse voice pulled her from her thoughts. His eyes were still closed and it seemed he was still struggling to breathe.

"Problem solved," Naboo said. "Get yourself ready to go."

"Problem not solved," Zelda retorted. "He won't be able to ride Epona this time, and even if he could, she's too recog-."

"Problem solved," Naboo said again, pointing to the window. "We can leave within the hour."

Zelda watched her leave, and as Link drifted off to sleep, she slid out from behind him and laid his head down on the pillow. Creeping softly over to the window, she saw a large wooden covered wagon waiting outside. Naboo walked out to greet a large, red haired woman. She seemed so jovial, and it took Zelda only a second to realize that she was Telma, the woman who had aided Link during the invasion.

"Princess?" She turned around quickly. Link looked the same, yet again she heard, "Princess?"

She walked over and sat down next to him. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she softly began to run them along his face in a gentle caressing motion.

"I lied to you."

"You're being silly," Zelda said, sniffing and wiping a tear from her eye. It had been so long since she'd heard his voice, it was a relief to hear him now.

"I told you that I didn't know when Midna started comforting me like this. I lied."

"Link-"

"It was you," he said, his blue eyes opening. "After you gave her your life, I knew her sudden personality change was because of you, and I have been falling in love with you ever since." He tried to lift his hand, but could do little more than grab the hem of her tunic. "I heard what you said. I won't leave you. I love you, and I am patient. You will find the words in your own time."

His eyes shut and his breathing became even. After leaving a kiss on his forehead, she began collecting their items from around the room, all the while, wiping away the tears that kept falling from her eyes.

… … …

"Renado, I am so grateful to you for giving us a safe haven. If there was some way I could repay you…" Her thought trailed off as she realized she had nothing to give in her current situation.

"I suspect I know where you are headed," he said. "You are just trying to survive right now, I know that, but I ask that you keep an open mind. It's possible that your destinies did not end with the slaying of the Demon King."

There was an awkward glance between him and Telma before he walked away.

"In you get, Your Highness," the woman said. "It's better if the two of you are out of sight."

Having already said goodbye to Naboo, who rode off with Epona in a hooded cloak in the hopes she could draw attention away, Zelda was beginning to doubt the plan. "Will it be safe to travel?" she asked as she climbed in and sat next to Link who was laying in the back. "I do not want to put you in danger on our account."

"I see what you mean about her, Link," Telma said with a laugh. "Princess, no worries. I would face any threat at the request of this boy."

When they were alone, Zelda turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

"Not really," he groaned. After a few moments of silence, he said, "I may have had a drink or two when you sent me away the night I found the secret passage to your room. I think stubborn was one of the words I used to describe the girl I was in love with."

"One of?" she prompted.

"Headstrong." He paused, and reached out his hand to make contact with her own. "Determined. Focused. Incredible."

"Don't forget oblivious," Telma called from the front.

"You're not helping," he replied through gritted teeth.

She let out a laugh. "We're leaving now. Everyone hold on tight."

Zelda fell forward onto Link's chest. She caught a whiff of a musty smell and became embarrassed that it was either her own scent, or, more likely Links, for she had not thought to bathe him while he was sick. She made a mental note that once they arrived at their destination, whatever that was, she would attend to him.

"Sorry," she said, pushing herself off of him.

They rode in silence after that, mostly listening to the sounds of Telma singing songs of ancient battles. The wagon slowed, and Telma called back, "We're at the Bridge of Eldin. It looks clear."

"It could still be a trap," Link said. "Are you sure you want to attempt this?"

"You said the only other option was far more dangerous. Doesn't seem like we have much of a choice."

Zelda could see he was uncomfortable, probably because he had grown accustomed to dealing with danger firsthand.

"Okay," he said finally. "But if you sense the slightest hint of an ambush-"

"Yes, yes. Cover up you two."

Telma urged the horse forward and the sound of the horse's hooves on stone could soon be heard. Zelda grabbed the canvas to drape it over the boxes surrounding them. It wouldn't hold up to much scrutiny, so hopefully they could get through without any prob-

"Halt. By royal decree, all transport is being searched for the criminal Link of Ordon."

"What's this now?" Telma said. "Surrounding a poor woman with such handsome soldiers. On whose orders was this decree made?"

"His majesty King Daltus Hyrule."

His what? King who?

"No," she whispered unconsciously. The only way he could have become king was if the council believed she was dead.

"What do you have back here?"

"Food and supplies," Telma replied. "I own a tavern in Castle Town. Feel free to stop in-"

"I am familiar with your establishment," the guard said. He pulled away the canvas, and stared directly into the eyes of Princess Zelda, who was laying beside the very man they were seeking.

"Anything, sir?" another voice asked, and the guard dropped the canvas back into place.

The sound of neighing could be heard in the distance, and someone shouted, "That's his horse. Everyone, let's go!"

There was a thundering of hooves clomping away from them. Zelda hadn't even realized she had been holding her breath until she suddenly gasped in a gulp of air.

"Telma," Link said softly. "It's safe now."

"That was close," she said, snapping the reins to drive the horse on. "I thought for sure-"

"He saw me," Zelda said, moving the canvas from over them so she could get a breath of fresh air. "He looked straight at us."

"We still have allies," Link said, using great effort to pull himself into a seated position. "But we're running out of time. If your brother was able to become king, as long as you are alive, every moment you breathe, you continue to be a threat to his throne."

He did not speak to her after that, instead, directing Telma through the canyon. They came to an unexpected stop, and he scooted to the edge of the wagon. He turned back and looked at her sheepishly. "Can you help me?"

She nodded and jumped down before offering him a hand. He accepted and though he tried to conceal just how much pain he was in, he couldn't hide it from her.

They gathered their things and said their goodbyes to Telma. After they watched her drive off, Link pointed in the direction of an entrance Zelda hadn't before noticed. As they walked together through the tunnel, he struggled with walking and carrying their bags.

"Do you want to stop?" she asked. "Or you can lean against me."

"No," he said forcefully. "Um, I mean, no but thank you. I can manage."

He was acting weird. Before he could decline her offer, she grabbed the bags he was carrying, and said, "That should help."

Surprised at first, his features softened into a smile. "Thank you."

They walked a ways further, until finally the road opened up to become a large, hidden village full of-

"Cats?"

"Yeah," he said winded. "They are not as helpful as the ones in Castle Town, but they're still pretty cute."

"Helpful?"

"Right, I never told you about how I could talk to animals when I was a wolf."

Before she could think of what to say to him, the door of the main house opened with a creaking noise and a small, white haired woman walked out. "You've returned. And you brought with you a friend."

"Yes," he replied. "I'm so sorry to intrude, but could we bother you for a room?"

"I have plenty of rooms, but beds are scarce," the little woman replied. "Follow me."

It struck Zelda as odd that Link would not introduce them to each other, but she had to trust that he knew what he was doing.

The woman led them to one of the few buildings that still had all of its glass intact. After a quick explanation of where they could fetch water and how to start a fire, she excused herself saying, "You two look like you could use some rest. I will leave you and we can speak in the morning."

"Thank you," Link said. "We'll have plenty to talk about tomorrow, Impaz."

Impaz? She felt her heart skip a beat. Why did that name sound so familiar?

Before she could ask, she turned and saw that Link was already gone. Given his current condition and level of exertion, she became concerned. It was only when she heard a yelp and a splash that she realized where he had gone. Running outside, she found him collapsed against the wall of the well.

"Link!"

"No, wait," he said as he held out a hand. "I… I would like you to stay back."

"Why?" she said, kneeling not far from him.

"I, goddesses, I'm so embarrassed, but I really need to bathe."

"Is that all?" she asked, relief flooding over her. She had noticed him pulling away from her, but didn't realize it was for such a reason. Leaning in, she laid a kiss on his cheek. "Go inside. I'll take care of this."

She hadn't actually drawn water before, so it took a few tries to figure out the contraption. Once she succeeded, she walked inside to find him sitting on a wooden stool. She lugged the bucket in and dropped it beside him. He had a cloth and said he could take it from there.

"Let me," she said, pulling it from his hand. "If you want me to, that is." He looked at her with shock at first, before nodding with an appreciative smile.

She started first with his hair that had become matted with sweat and dirt, down to his face, ears, and neck. Once she had run out of skin to clean, she dropped the cloth into the bucket.

"Done already?" he asked.

"No," she replied, loosening the strings of his tunic before running her hands down his chest and under the shirt. "Arms up." He did as instructed, and she caught another whiff of his musky odor. She decided that it wasn't terrible. There was actually something about the smell that she found slightly appealing, just that it was slightly overwhelming.

His tunic discarded on the floor, she reached for the cloth again, ringing out the excess water before running it along his skin. She had seen his torso once before, the level of scarring he had endured, likely all of it during the events of the Twilight Invasion. All except the newest, the wound on his arm, which was finally healing now that the poison was completely out of his system.

Once she had thoroughly cleaned his upper frame, both front and back, she dropped the cloth back in the bucket.

"Thank you," he said to her. "I can take care of the rest."

She nodded nervously and was about to stand when a forceful "No!" escaped from her lips. He could only look at her as she said, "No," again. "I want to."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his cheeks turning a slight pink which actually made her feel relieved that he was feeling shy about it too.

"Is that okay?" she asked.

"All I am is yours to explore," he replied.

With that, she edged closer to him and pulled on the strings of his trousers. Losing nerve, she moved down to his boots, untying them and then pulling off first the left and then the right. Setting them aside, she looked back up into his eyes

"You don't-"

"Stand up," she interrupted, not wanting him to give her a reason to quit. He did as he was told, and as she tugged down his trousers and undershorts together, she continued to stare into his eyes. It was only once they couldn't be pulled down any further that she looked up to take in his fully naked frame. She wanted to stare, to touch, to explore, but trying to instead be confident, she reached for the cloth, wringing it out in the bucket. Working around his lower stomach and along the sides of his legs, she avoided his groin area, though every so often she would sneak a look at it.

She had never seen a naked man before. Although not totally ignorant of how it all worked, she had only seen the large members of the stallions when she witnessed them penetrating mares at the castle stables.

Once she had cleaned everywhere but his manhood, she knew it was time to have courage. "Sit down," she instructed. Link looked around, his cheeks now red, and knowing he was as nervous as she was, she commanded again, "Sit down."

He cleared his throat and replied, "I will." He reached for a towel and set it down on the stool before doing as he was told. "I just wanted to avoid splinters."

She let out a breath of relief and looked up into his eyes once more. He was still nervous, but his mischievous side was starting to emerge. Feeling bolder, she dropped the cloth in the bucket again and squeezed out the water. Now or never, she thought, and she opened the cloth and moved down his patch of straw blond curly hairs until she was touching his member. Trying to convince herself this was no different than a leg or an arm, she gently wiped the area, moving around and underneath to the scrotum. His reactions were her only clue, but it seemed she was not hurting him in any way. Far from it actually, for his eyes were closed, his breathing was beginning to increase, as was another part of his anatomy.

She had finished cleaning the area and pulled away to drop the cloth in the bucket. He opened his eyes to look at her. "Thank you," he said, though she could sense his disappointment.

"I'm not done," she said, following up with, "if that's okay." He looked a little surprised, but gave a nod.

She continued on, her hands shifting from providing him comfort to giving him pleasure. She became lost in the movements until he cried out as he dropped from the stool to his knees, leaning into her for support as he gasped for air.

She wanted to soothe him by running her hands along his frame, but since both were covered in his fluids, she stayed frozen in place. Her lack of knowledge when it came to matters of intimacy was crippling, and it caused her thoughts to wander to a place that made her feel inadequate and vulnerable.

Link pushed himself back from her slightly and ran his hands through her hair, pulling her forward so he could lay a gentle kiss on her forehead. After breaking away, he hovered close to her and whispered, "Thank you."

She swallowed nervously. "Was that… did I… okay?"

He gave a little laugh as he pushed himself back. Looking down, she could see the glistening fluid that had left a mess on her tunic, hands, his torso… goddesses, everywhere.

"More than okay," he replied as she watched him grab the cloth from the bucket. Wringing it out, he took one of her hands in his own and began to wipe it clean. She looked down at the other and wondered how he tasted. The chance to find out was soon lost as he wiped the fluid from the other hand. He was so gentle, and she could tell he was still shaking from the energy expelled through the session. Pulling away, he cleaned his torso and then the floor, dropping the cloth back in the water. "Raise your arms," he said, his hands grasping the bottom of her tunic.

"No, wait," she said, pushing him away.

He looked away, ashamed. "I was only going to help you clean your shirt," he said, grabbing his discarded trousers and using them to cover himself. "You should wash that off before it dries."

It was her turn to be embarrassed as he stood and slipped into his pants. He was about to walk out, and she realized that if he did, it might be the last she would see of him until the morning.

"Stop!" she cried out. "Please don't leave." He didn't move, but he also didn't turn around. Not knowing what else to do, she lifted the tunic over her head, leaving herself covered in a thin undershirt. Holding it out, she asked, "Help me?"

He looked back and nodded. "I'll get some fresh water," he said quietly, walking over to the bucket.

Suddenly remembering his last attempt to get water and worried he might fall into the well this time, she jumped up. "Let me." He gave a nod and fell back onto the stool, dropping his head into his hands.

After emptying the bucket, she drew some fresh water from the well. She sat on the stone and wondered how they had gone from sensual and erotic to discomfort and embarrassment. The answer was easy: she was the problem. Her constant overthinking and inability to let go and just trust him was going to eventually drive him away if she couldn't get a hold of her thoughts and actions.

With a deep breath, she grabbed the bucket and walked back in to find Link unmoved, still sitting on the stool. He looked up at her cautiously and suddenly became alarmed, jumping up and guiding her down onto the seat.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You are crying."

Crying? Goddesses, she was a mess. She'd cried more in the past few days than she had in her entire life. "I'm fine," she replied as he wiped her cheek with his hand.

"No you are not," he said. "Tell me?"

She sniffed. "When you tried to help me remove my tunic, I thought you were wanting to reciprocate, and I was worried you would overexert yourself. I didn't mean to make it seem as though I was rejecting you."

A look of relief flooded his features. "I'm glad you told me," he said. "You asked me to be patient, but I suppose I should also work on not jumping to conclusions when it comes to you." He looked around and grabbed a cloak from one of their bags, wrapping her up tight before turning his attention to cleaning her stained top. After hanging it to dry, he turned his attention back to her. "Are you ready for bed? To sleep," he added quickly.

She nodded and allowed herself to be led to the adjoining room where he had her sit on the bed. Taking care to attend to her, he knelt on the floor and gently removed her boots one after the other and set them aside. He looked up at her and gave a small smile.

"I'll make sure everything is put away in the next room. I can either sleep in that bed," he said as he pointed behind him to the bed on the other wall, "or in this one with you. I'll let you decide."

He left, and she knew in an instant that she wanted him beside her again. She stood and pulled down her leggings, throwing them, the cloak, and the boots for good measure, onto the opposite bed before climbing under the covers in only her undergarments. She peeked out and waited for him to return, grinning when he walked in and saw the mess she had piled on the other bed.

"No mistaking that," he said and turned to her. He set down the candle and began removing his trousers but left on his undershorts. Tossing them onto the bed with the other articles, he blew out the candle and slipped in next to her. In the dark, she could feel the bed move, and though she couldn't see him, she could sense he was facing her direction. Closing the small gap between them, she wrapped her hand around his waist and soon felt the pull of his arm bringing her close to him. With her head against his chest, she quickly drifted off to fall into one of the deepest sleeps in her life.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter has been edited here because the Mature rating does not allow for explicit content. If you want to read the full, unedited piece, you can find the story with the same name (title and author) on AO3. Any chapter that has been edited here will have an asterisks by the chapter title. I have no excuses for my delay. Hope you enjoyed it!


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